Ladakh, Aug 21 (KNO): India is moving closer to a landmark clean energy milestone as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) nears completion of the country’s first geothermal power well in the Puga Valley of Ladakh.
Rising at nearly 14,000 feet above sea level, the project marks India’s debut in harnessing geothermal energy for electricity generation.
As per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the initiative, led by ONGC Energy Centre, is being developed entirely with domestic expertise under extremely challenging Himalayan conditions.
Engineers are working against hostile terrain, seasonal accessibility issues, and the unconsolidated rock formations of the high-altitude cold desert, making the project as much an engineering feat as an energy breakthrough.
Once operational, the Puga Valley project will become India’s first geothermal-based power facility, capable of producing round-the-clock, carbon-free electricity. Unlike solar or wind, geothermal energy ensures continuous generation, strengthening the country’s push for reliable renewable power under its carbon-neutral roadmap.
Puga Valley, long identified as a geothermal hotspot, is now set to feature on the global geothermal energy map.
Officials told KNO that the project underlines India’s ability to undertake complex energy ventures in the harshest environments without depending on foreign technology.
For ONGC, the project is part of a wider pivot towards future-ready energy solutions. Alongside geothermal, the corporation is also investing in hydrogen, solar and other clean energy technologies to reduce reliance on fossil fuels while securing India’s energy needs.
By breaking ground in Ladakh, ONGC is not just adding a new chapter to India’s renewable energy story but also laying the foundation for geothermal power as a dependable alternative in the country’s energy mix.
Meanwhile, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India in a post on X, said, “In the icy heights of Ladakh’s Puga Valley, at 14,000 ft above sea level, India is on the verge of a historic breakthrough. @ONGC is close to completing the nation’s first geothermal power well, turning the Earth’s hidden heat into clean, renewable energy. Built entirely with Indian expertise, this is a milestone that takes us closer to energy independence and a carbon-free future, under the leadership of PM @narendramodi ji.”—(KNO)